Dress for success

What to wear to get you through brutal Rochester winters and beyond

Dear out-of-town students: time for a reality check. Rochester winters are
cold, snowy, and infinite. According to USA
Today, the average yearly snowfall for Rochester is 92", with the mean February
temperature hovering at 23 degrees Fahrenheit. It's the 12th snowiest city in
the lower 48 states, and it might seem warm now, it might seem like maybe winter won't come this year ---
but it will. And when it does every ounce of fabric in your closet will be
called upon to fight the Artic gusts blowing through the campus of your school.
The first snowfall is hardly the time to prepare. Get your threads now before
the homework piling up on your desk starts to resemble the thick snowdrifts
growing outside your door.

Let's start simple. Bring a thick winter coat to school with
you this year. No matter how much you think you don't need it. No matter how
bulky and ugly it is. You will use
it. Around town, department stores are the cheap and dirty place to pick up a
coat. EasternMountain Sports, Dick's (both at
Marketplace Mall) and similar sports stores will carry name-brand ski jackets
at name-brand prices. But who says winter fashion has to stop with bulky,
marshmallow-shaped coats?

Stock the closet with clothes that are easy to layer. A
thermal shirt fits well underneath an oxford or a hoodie
to insulate against the malicious wind chill, and thermal socks are good at
preventing frost bite on cross-campus hikes. Department stores, again, will
have these; look in the "lumberjack" section. If you're too cool for boots,
prepare for some soggy and salty shoes. Try an equal mixture of vinegar and
water to clean them off.

With hundreds of incoming freshmen, one or two signature
outfits can set someone on the path to collegiate superstardom. It's a good
idea to take a day and go through the racks at the Volunteers of America or the
nearest thrift store in search of your vêtementd'etre.
Consider postponing the excursion until the mid-semester lull, since success
depends on the meticulous perusal of huge garment racks --- not exactly an
in-and-out visit (see Directory).

If wading through lots of junk isn't your idea of a good
time, try one of Rochester's
vintage clothing stores. Ricky's Place (274 N. Goodman St., 442-0042) contains
some killer pieces from the '50s, '60s and a touch of the '70s, while Godiva's (653 South Ave., 244-3370) is the place for some fab concert t-shirts from bygone eras. Pick up something to
accent your already impeccable taste, or blow your whole Stafford
loan on some stylin' threads. If small,
big-city-style fashion boutiques are your thing, the two potential areas to
scour are Park Avenue toward the city and Monroe Avenue in
Pittsford.

Accessorizing, especially during winter months, can award
you some easy fashion points. Scarves, wool hats, and mittens are a great way
to look snazzy when the temperature drops, and a good weekend adventure might
be to charter a car and travel to Canada for a truly inspired
selection of toques and mufflers.

Outside of that, comfort is golden. Jeans and a t-shirt will
be the bread and butter of your next four years. With jeans a variety of styles
work, so find your brand. For ladies, capris are
especially good for warmer days, and an alternative, more wallet friendly,
option is to cuff the pant legs of jeans you already own. Or,
even better, find a friend with similar taste and proportions, and share.
Have a go at constructing a non-hierarchical fashion swap scheme with the
hygiene active students on your floor.

Most importantly, don't be afraid to stand out. Come fall
there will be one accessory, be it ridiculously gaudy or brutally dull, that
every student on every campus will own. It might be furry leather boots, it
might be a fleecy Northface pullover, it might even be as simple as an unbreakable Nalgene bottle. Resist temptation. Knowing what not to wear
is just as important. (Well, maybe you can make an exception for the furry
boots.)

When students talk about the high cost of education today,
they're likely to be talking about a lot more than tuition, room and board. The
average college student now also carries more than four credit cards with
balances totaling $2,327.